Topband: Power Line Noise

[Arthur Delibert]

Steve --

 

Sounds awful.  Check out the article in the September 1995 QST, "A Receiving Antenna that Rejects Local Noise," by K6STI, and the companion, "A K6STI Low-Noise Receiving Antenna for 80 and 160 Meters," by W6KUT.

 

I live in a noisy suburban location (but probably not as bad as yours).  I built one of these antennas some years ago when I was a shortwave broadcast DXer, and I could hear good audio from Indonesian regional stations on 90 meters that were nothing but weak carriers in the noise on other "low-noise" antennas. 

 

It's important that the antenna be as perfectly horizontal as you can make it.  I used the walls of an old garage on the property, which were nicely level.  

 

Good luck!

 

--Art Delibert, KB3FJO


 
> From: steve.root at culligan4water.com
> To: topband at contesting.com
> Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:38:29 +0000
> Subject: Re: Topband: Power Line Noise
> 
> So Old blue helped find noise sources that were a mile and a half away? I can't begin to tell you all how discouraging that is....
> 
> The noise here is incredible. The K3 noise blanker, set to it's most aggressive level, has no effect on it. I spent a year experimenting with the MFJ-1026 and never was able to achieve any kind of a null, much less one that improved S/N ratio. The noise sounds like a waterfall, it has no discernable characteristics when seen on a 'scope. It sounds, acts, and looks like a solid object. I can only conlcude that I'm surrounded by thousands of discrete noise sources. No matter where I look there's noise. It can't be nulled because for any one you might "phase out" there are hundreds that are at a different phase. Even a receiving four-square is limited in usefullness, becasue it's still pointed AT more noise.
> 
> I had always thought these sources had to be close to me. Now I realize that I could spend the rest of my life running these things down, and I still won't be able to hear much. Wow....
> 
> 73 Steve K0SR
> 
> P.S. Dear Santa, please make all the DX louder this year hi hi.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 160 meters is a serious band, it should be treated with respect. - TF4M
 		 	   		  
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